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SHERINGHAM SHOALOFFSHORE WIND FARM

MAY 2006

www.scira.co.uk

ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT NON TECHNICAL SUMMARY

S H E R I N G H A M S H O A L O F F S H O R E W I N D F A R M

NON TECHNICAL SUMMARY FOR ENV IRONMENTAL STATEMENT ■ MAY 2006

Scira Offshore Energy Ltd.

Scira Offshore Energy Ltd (Scira) is proposing toconstruct and operate an offshore wind farm, knownas Sheringham Shoal, sited offshore from the coastaltown of Sheringham on the north Norfolk Coast. Scirais a project specific company formed by Hydro fromNorway, Econcern from the Netherlands and SLP Energy from the UK.

Project Details

The proposed wind farm would be located approximately17 to 23km offshore from the north Norfolk coastal townof Sheringham and approximately 5km north of theoffshore sand bank known as Sheringham Shoal (seeFigure 1). The wind farm would comprise between 45 and108 turbines located in water depths of approximately15m to 22m at lowest astronomical tide (LAT).

The wind farm turbines would be connected via an interarray network of cables which would link at one or twooffshore transformer substations located within the windfarm. From these stations power would be exported viatwo marine cables which would make landfall in thevicinity of Weybourne Hope on the north Norfolk coast.Two routes for the site to shore export cables are beingconsidered; a preferred direct route which passes directlyacross Sheringham Shoal and an alternative westernroute which passes to the west of the shoal.

Onshore, the cables would be connected to a newswitch station situated in the grounds of theMuckleburgh Collection, approximately 800m inland(Figure 2). From the switch room a new electricalconnection would be required in order to pass electricityinto the national grid. This new grid connection would bethe subject of a separate consent.

Each turbine would comprise of a three bladed rotormounted on the hub of a nacelle located on a towersection. The tower would be mounted on a pre-installed foundation on the seabed. The maximumheight of the turbines would be up to 172m abovemean high water springs (MHWS) to the blade tip inthe vertically up position, and the minimum clearanceto the blade tip in the vertically down position wouldbe 22m above MHWS.

I N T R O D U C T I O N

Overview of proposed project location

Figure 1 - Overview of the proposed project

Offshore Wind Farm Site

Alternative western

export cable route

Preferred direct

export cable route

Anemometry mast

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A number of different foundation types are beingconsidered for the project, including the monopile, tripodor quadruped structure (a frame with 3 or 4 piles),concrete gravity base and suction caisson. The finaldecision on the foundation will depend on the size ofthe wind turbine and detailed investigations of theseabed conditions. Rock protection around the base ofthe foundations may also be required to avoid erosion orscour of the adjacent seabed.

A number of installation methods for the project havebeen considered including piled or drilled monopiles andthe use of a number of burial methods for the cablesincluding the ploughed method or the trenched/jettedmethod. All cables would be buried between 1 – 3mbelow the seabed depending on the ground conditions.At the landfall site the cables would be ducted under theshingle bank and then buried in a 1m deep trench to anew switch room as shown in Figure 2.

The wind farm would have an operational life of 40years during which regular servicing of the turbineswould take place along with any required maintenance.The wind farm would then be decommissioned inaccordance with an agreed Decommissioning Plan. It islikely that all structures above seabed level would beremoved. Cables would be disconnected and left buried,with notification that they are disused, as is currentcommon practice.

The need for renewable energy

The central aim of the UK Government's energy policy is toestablish a supply of energy that is diverse, sustainable andsecure and is offered at competitive prices. Key to this goal is a60% reduction of CO2 emissions by 2050. The development ofrenewable energy plays a key role in the Government’s strategyfor carbon reduction. In 2000, the Government proposed an initialten year strategy, which included a target to generate 10% of theUK’s electricity from renewable sources by 2010. Revised targetshave proposed that 15% of the UK electricity supply should comefrom renewable sources by 2015, with an aspiration of 20% by2020. The Government’s targets for renewable energy will helpthe UK to meet its international obligations, but also obtaingreater security of energy supply. The construction of wind farms,(both on- and offshore) is expected to be the largest contributorto the renewable energy sector and wind energy will provide thegreatest contribution to the 2010 target of all of the renewableenergy technologies.

Export cable route

Land cables proposed routeLand cables proposed route

Proposed switch room location(not to scale)

Proposed switch room location(not to scale)

Cable land fall

connection pit

(not to scale)

Cable land fall

connection pit

(not to scale)

The proposed Sheringham Shoal wind farm is expected tocontribute up to 2.4% of the target for renewable energyin 2010 and supply up to 178,000 (BWEA 2005) homeswith renewable electricity per year.

Calculations based on British Wind Energy Association(BWEA) 2005, applied load factor: 30%.

Left: Figure 2 Location of proposed export cablelandfall and onshore cable route at The Muckleburgh Collection,Weybourne, Norfolk.

Right: Offshore Wind Turbines

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0 0.2 0.4

Kilometres

Regulatory Consents

A number of regulatory consents are required for theconstruction and operation of the Sheringham Shoalproject. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) leadsthe consent process in association with the Departmentfor Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Scira is applying for the following key consents:

■ Consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 to construct and operate the offshorewind power generating station, including all ancillary infrastructure.

■ Licence under section 5 of the Food andEnvironment Protection Act 1985 to depositmaterials such as the turbine foundations and theburied cables, on the seabed.

■ Consent under section 34 of the Coast ProtectionAct 1949 in order to make provision for the safety ofnavigation in relation to the export cables.

■ Deemed planning permission under section 90 ofthe Town and Country Planning Act 1990, soughtas part of the section 36 application, for the onshoreelements of the works.

In gaining consent under the Electricity Act or the Food andEnvironment Protection Act, conditions may be imposed tocontrol and mitigate the impact of the development.

In addition, the extinguishment of public rights ofnavigation will be requested under the Energy Act 2004for the areas of seabed directly covered by the offshorestructures comprising the turbines, transformer stationsand meteorological mast. Safety Zones of up to 500maround all structures will also be requested, whichwould limit the activities of certain vessels within thisarea. The exact requirements for Safety Zones willdepend on the phase of the project and the activityinvolved. This is to ensure the safety of life at sea.

Programme

The most suitable period for offshore constructionactivities, cable laying and landfall works is during thespring and summer months when the weather is mostfavourable. It has not yet been determined whetherconstruction would take place over one season orspread over a longer period. This would be influencedby factors including the number of turbines. It isanticipated, however, that the majority of the onshorecable works would be undertaken over the winter periodwhen the Muckleburgh Collection museum is closed, in order to minimise interference to the museumoperations as well as recreational users and tourists inthe area.

R E G U L A T O R Y R E Q U I R E M E N T S

A N D T H E E I A P R O C E S S

Installation of an offshore wind farm

View of Sheringham

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Do you approve of wind generated electricity?

Are you in favour of a wind farm at Sheringham?

No Answer

No

Yes

Indifferent

No Answer

No

Yes

Indifferent

The Need for Environmental Impact Assessment

The Sheringham Shoal project is subject to an EnvironmentalImpact Assessment (EIA), as required under the ElectricityWorks (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2000.

The EIA Process

EIA is a tool for systematically examining and assessing theimpacts and effects of a development on the environment.The resultant Environmental Statement reports on the EIAand contains:

■ Description of the development proposal, including anyalternatives considered;

■ Description of the existing environment at the site and itsenvirons;

■ Prediction of potential impacts on the existing human,physical and natural environment at the site andassessment of subsequent effects;

■ Description of mitigation measures to avoid or reducesuch effects;

■ Description of monitoring requirements; and

■ Non-Technical Summary.

Scoping and Consultation

A scoping exercise was carried out to identify the main issuesthat needed addressing as part of the EIA and subsequentlyagreed with the DTI, Defra and others. Consultation formedan essential part of the EIA process and included over 45statutory and non-statutory bodies representing key interestsand user groups in the North Norfolk District and the widerarea, including navigation interests.

A tailor-made communication andconsultation campaign dedicated to thefishing community is also ongoing.

To ensure that local people were awareof and involved in the EIA process, anall day public exhibition was held on the28th of April 2005 in Sheringham.Some 300 visitors attended, of whichnearly three quarters were in favour, inprinciple, of building an offshore windfarm off the coast of Sheringham.Particular issues that were raisedincluded effect on bird life; fishing;visual impact; peripheral constructionactivities; and sea life.

Scira maintains a dedicated websitecontaining up-to date information onthe project plans and its progress:www.scira.co.uk. Consultation andliaison will be ongoing throughout the life of the project.

Public Exhibition in Sheringham

Public Questionnaire Results from Sheringham Exhibition

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Original data collection and surveys

Further to the findings of the scoping exercise andconsultation with the statutory consultees, the followingsurveys were undertaken as part of the EIA in order tocollect site specific information about the area:

■ Oceanographic survey;

■ Geophysical survey;

■ Shallow geotechnical surveys;

■ Natural fisheries survey;

■ Marine water and sediment quality;

■ Marine ecological survey;

■ Marine archaeological survey;

■ Shipping and navigation survey;

■ Commercial fishing survey and observation trips on local vessels;

■ Bird surveys (aerial, boat based and via radar);

■ Terrestrial ecological survey; and

■ Seascape and visual character assessment.

Impact identification and evaluation

Impact identification and evaluation was carried out via anumber of methods and techniques, including referenceto guidelines, research and literature review, computermodelling and consultation. In order to provide aconsistent framework for considering and evaluatingimpacts, significance levels have been assigned to eachimpact. The assigned definitions are set out in Table 1.

Mitigation and monitoring

Mitigation measures are considered and describedwhere potentially significant adverse impacts wereidentified, either as part of design or as a measureimplemented during construction or operation with theobjective of avoiding, reducing or minimising those

impacts. A series of monitoring programmes will alsotake place during construction or operation of the projectto verify predicted impacts and add to the existingknowledge and understanding of environmental impactsassociated with this kind of development.

Table 1 Terminology for classifying environmental impacts

Impact Significance Definition

Major adverse The impact gives rise to serious concern and it should be considered as unacceptable.

Moderate adverse The impact gives rise to some concern but is likely to be tolerable depending

on scale and duration.

Minor adverse The impact is undesirable but of limited concern.

Negligible The impact is not of concern.

No Impact There is an absence of one or more of the following: impact source,

pathway or receptor.

Minor beneficial The impact is of minor significance but has some environmental benefit.

Moderate beneficial The impact provides some gain to the environment.

Major beneficial The impact provides a significant positive gain.

Conducting the bird survey along the cable route

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Introduction

The following sections summarise the potentialenvironmental impacts associated with the constructionand operation of the Sheringham Shoal project. Thefollowing environmental topics have been assessed forthe two elements of the project:

Offshore wind farm and export cable route

■ Hydrodynamics and geomorphology;

■ Marine and coastal water quality;

■ Ornithology;

■ Marine ecology;

■ Natural fisheries resources;

■ Marine mammals;

■ Commercial fisheries;

■ Landscape, seascape and visual resources and character;

■ Shipping and navigation;

■ Marine archaeology;

■ Military and aviation;

■ Other human activities; and

■ Socio-economic activities.

Landside cable route and infrastructure

■ Geology, land quality and water resources;

■ Terrestrial ecology, including ornithology

■ Landscape and visual character;

■ Terrestrial archaeology and cultural heritage;

■ Coastal tourism and recreation;

■ Traffic and access; and

■ Noise, dust and air quality.

Cumulative impacts from other wind farmdevelopments or other existing or planned projects oractivities in the area have also been addressed, as wellas the impacts from decommissioning. These arediscussed in detail within the Environmental Statement.

Offshore wind farm and export cable route

Geology, hydrodynamics and geomorphology

The mobile surface sediment of the site and cable routeare mainly comprised of gravelly fine to medium sandvarying in depth from 0.5m (near the shore) to 10m (atSheringham Shoal). These sediments overlie BoldersBank formation and chalk bedrock which is periodicallyexposed at the surface near the shore then dips gradually to20m below the seabed to the north of the wind farm site.

An assessment of the impact of the wind farm onhydrodynamics and geomorphology looked at thechanges that the wind farm and cable route would haveon the local waves, currents, sediment transport regimeand features of the seabed. The project would havesome localised impact in the immediate vicinity of thewind farm site such as localised erosion or scour aroundthe base of the foundations but no significant impactsfurther afield. The design of the foundation structureswould take account of any scour and may include rockplacement as protection against erosion. Overall,changes caused by the structures are likely to be lessthan those experienced due to natural variation and aretherefore of negligible significance.

It has been shown by numerical modelling thatincreases in suspended sediment levels due to thecable laying process are small, localised and short lived.Increases are considered very low and probablyinsignificant for ploughing, with higher but still localisedconcentrations for trenching. The routes have beenchosen to avoid areas of chalk at the surface as far aspossible. Overall a minor adverse to negligible effectis predicted on suspended sediment levels.

The beach at Weybourne Hope is exposed to a highenergy wave and tidal environment and is also subject toongoing erosion. To avoid disturbance of the low cliffs atthe rear of the beach and the shingle bank that protectsthem, the cables would be installed through a duct, pre-drilled under the cliff and shingle bank which would alsotake account of the ongoing erosion in the area.

S U M M A R Y O F E N V I R O N M E N TA L I M PA C T S

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Marine and coastal water quality

There are five designated bathing water areas and onedesignated shellfish water area located within thevicinity of the Sheringham Shoal project, the nearestbeing located at Sheringham and Blakeney respectively.Due to the exposed location of the site, the localisedextent and nature of the sediment disturbance and thedistance of the construction activities from thedesignated sites, no impacts on water quality of thesesites are anticipated. The low sensitivity of the waterquality outside these designated sites means thatimpacts would be of negligible significance. Thedisturbance of short lengths of areas of surface and nearsurface chalk on the export cable route could lead to avisible milky plume; however the impact would be of anaesthetic nature only and would be dispersed over anumber of tides.

Strict adherence to standard pollution preventionguidance, site environmental plans and best practice willreduce risks to water quality from accidental spillageduring construction and operation.

Ornithology

A programme of boat-based, aerial and radar birdsurveys over two years were used to understand theuse and activity of the proposed wind farm site by birds.Species of note included Sandwich and Common Terns,Little Gulls and Razorbills, Gannets, Lesser Black-backedGulls and Guillemots.

Although the surveys showed relatively few numbers ofbirds using or flying through the area, bird species wereassessed in relation to their risk of collision and the levelof potential disturbance and displacement from the areaduring construction and operation. This concluded thatno single species would be likely to incur impacts thatwere considered to be significant.

In order to minimise disturbance during operation andreduction of any possible barrier effect, the wind farmwill be designed so that the corridors between rows ofturbines are orientated in the main flying direction of thenorth Norfolk Tern population which travels between itsbreeding sites on the coast and foraging areas of sea tothe north east of the wind farm site. Overall thepresence of the wind farm is considered to have aminor adverse impact on Terns and Razorbills and anegligible impact on other species.

The nature and magnitude of actual impacts on allspecies of concern will be assessed through amonitoring programme which will be developed inconsultation with English Nature.

Marine ecology

Impacts of greatest potential significance, in the contextof the marine ecology of the area, are anticipated to ariseduring the construction phase of the development,specifically, the direct impact on habitats and speciesthrough the installation of foundations, cables andassociated infrastructure. The sediment types andcommunities found within the footprint of theSheringham Shoal project are typical of the wider studyarea and are consistent with the findings of other studies.No species of conservation significance are presentwithin the footprint of the construction activities, and thecommunities, comprising polychaete worms, crustaceansand bivalve molluscs are considered to be well adapted toliving in a dynamic and periodically disturbed environment.As such, the potential direct impact of habitat loss duringconstruction is considered to be of short term durationand of minor adverse significance.

Children playing on Sheringham Beach

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Sediment disturbance and deposition from constructionactivities such as cable installation, could have anadverse indirect impact on the marine communities,through increased turbidity and smothering. Modellinghas shown that the vast majority of disturbed sedimentis expected to settle in the immediate vicinity of thedisturbance. The amount of fine sediment is limited inthe area, and outcrops of chalk would only beencountered along a short stretch of the cable route.Research and studies have shown that the benthiccommunity is tolerant to such disturbance and shows arapid rate of recovery. The potential impact is consideredto be of short term duration and negligible significance.

Following construction a range of benthic species fromthe wider study area are expected to rapidly colonise thefoundations and any scour protection. This colonisationmay serve to cause some highly localised increase inbiodiversity, and would provide foraging opportunitiesand refuge habitats for a range of species.

Natural fisheries

In excess of 70 fish species were caught during the site-specific surveys during April, July, and September 2005,including immature herring and whiting, dab, pogge,sprat and lemon sole. The fish species is consideredtypical for the area and is similar in diversity to previoussurveys. Shellfish species included pink shrimp, ediblecrab, velvet crab and lobster. The lack of herring in thesurveys in July and September indicated that herring donot use the wind farm area or the cable route as aspawning ground.

Noise created during the construction period, inparticular through pile driving, is anticipated to have thegreatest potential impact on sensitive fish speciesleading to disturbance, displacement and fish mortalityin some cases. However, by adopting good working

practices, such as soft-start piling which graduallyincreases the amount of noise produced, these impactscan be effectively reduced. A minor adverse impact isanticipated. Following construction, fish would beexpected to return to the area.

Increased suspended sediment concentrations,caused by the cable installation process in particular,have the potential to impact upon shellfish. However,the short term construction activities and the localisednature of sediment deposition would minimise theimpact, resulting in a localised minor adverse impacton shellfish.

Potential impacts during the operation of the wind farminclude underwater noise and vibration, the fishaggregating effect of the structures and the influence ofelectromagnetic fields from the buried cables. Researchin these areas as well as results of monitoring at otheroffshore wind farm sites indicates that a negligible tominor adverse impact is anticipated.

Local fishing boats in Sheringham

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Marine mammals

The most common marine mammal species in the areaare harbour porpoise and common seal, with The Washhosting the main common seal population in Englandand Blakeney Point on the north Norfolk coast providingan important breeding site. Site specific data, however,indicated a low presence of these or other species inthe wind farm area.

As marine mammals rely on sound for communication,navigation and orientation, the noise from constructionactivities, particularly piling works, have the potential to significantly affect harbour porpoise and seals.Mitigation measures will be implemented to minimiseharm including measures such as Soft Start pilingprocedures which slowly ramp up the piling noiseallowing marine mammals to move out of the area.Monitoring studies undertaken during construction andoperation of other offshore wind farm siteshave shown no significant impact on seals or porpoises.

On the basis of the current knowledge of the effects ofwind farm operational noise, the relatively low presenceof marine mammals within the proposed wind farmarea, and the distance from their main centres ofactivity, it is concluded that the adverse effects due tooperational noise are likely to be negligible.

Commercial Fisheries

The wind farm location is not a primary fishing area anddoes not support as much fishing effort as the banksand shoals to the west of the site. No significanttrawling activity was observed within the proposed windfarm area and only limited long lining on a seasonalbasis has been reported. There is, however, a history ofvessels mainly from Blakeney and to a lesser extentWells undertaking some seasonal static gear fishingwithin the area of the wind farm site. Between six andseven of these local potting vessels regularly visit thesite targeting crabs and lobsters.

In relation to the cable route the highest levels of activityoccurs over the inshore section out to approximately the3 mile limit by small beach-launched fishing vessels.Whilst the level of this activity declines further offshore,the Sheringham Shoal is a recognised fishing area.

Potential impacts on commercial fishing activitiesinclude complete loss or restricted access to traditionalgrounds; interference with fishing activities; increasedsteaming times; construction debris left on the seabed;adverse impacts on commercial species and safetyissues for fishing vessels.

All potential impacts identified during the constructionphase are assessed as negligible to commercial fisheriesother than loss of fishing area which is assessed as beingminor adverse for the six or seven inshore static gearvessels that regularly operate in the wind farm site area.During construction the cumulative loss of fishing areaand increased steaming times may cause minor adverseimpacts, while impacts on commercially exploited speciesare deemed to be negligible.

All potential impacts identified during the operationalphase are assessed as negligible to commercialfisheries other than interference to fishing activity forthose static gear vessels operating in the area, which isassessed as being minor adverse. The assessmentassumed exclusion of all towed and drifting gear andconditional access for static gear within the wind farmsite. Scira proposes to work with potentially affectedfishermen to establish the feasibility of operating staticgear vessels within the site. Assuming that accessbetween turbines can be permitted for these vessels,impacts on fishing area and steaming times areassessed as negligible.

A Common or Harbour Seal

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Landscape, seascape and visual resources

and character

The seascape would be directly affected by thepresence of the wind farm site as the area is currentlyopen sea. The significance of the effect on seascaperesources and character would be direct and major atthe site itself, but would be indirect outwith the sitedecreasing with distance.

There would be no change to landscape resources as aresult of the offshore wind farm and an indirect effect ofmoderate significance on the landscape character alongthe nearest coastal edge, decreasing to minor ornegligible further inland.

There would be a change to visual amenity and to viewsfrom key viewpoint locations throughout the study area,largely along the coastal edge, but only when atmosphericconditions are clear. On such occasions, about 60% of thetime, impacts of major significance would result at a fewof the closest locations. Further inland, vegetation andchanges in terrain obscure many views.

The location of the wind farm 17 - 23km offshore and thefrequent presence of low levels of visibility in the areareduce the significance of the impacts. Over the 40 yearlifespan of the wind farm the effect is likely to be tolerable.

Whilst a number of the other wind farms planned offthe north Norfolk coast could be seen at the same timeas the Sheringham Shoal project, there are no landbased viewpoints from where the sites in combinationwould appear as a single development due to theirseparation distances.

Shipping and navigation

A navigational risk assessment, based on a detailed reviewof navigational aspects and a number of surveys, wasundertaken to determine the impact of the SheringhamShoal Wind Farm on shipping and navigation. The level ofshipping navigating through the wind farm site is low withmerchant shipping tending to avoid the area due to thesurrounding shallows. There would be a minor adverseimpact on merchant vessels, fishing and recreationalactivity in the area. The use of safety zones around eachstructure of up to 500m would be used to ensure safetyof life, whereby vessels would not be allowed to enter. A Safety Zone of 100m is proposed for fishing andrecreational vessels. All requisite day and night marks andlights will be used to ensure safety of navigation.

Figure 1. View from the beach car park, Cley next the Sea on a clear day

Figure 2. View from Peddars Way between Weybourne and Sheringham on a clear day

Figure 3. View from Beeston Hill, Sheringham on a slightly hazy day

Visualisations of the Sheringham Shoal Offshore Wind Farm

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Marine archaeology

The known and potential archaeological resources withinthe vicinity of the area include wrecks, ship-borne debrisand potentially drowned landscapes, from the LowerPalaeolithic to Modern period.

No known areas of archaeological importance have beenidentified, however mitigation measures will beimplemented for offshore and intertidal areas to ensurethat any features of archaeological importance that areidentified are either avoided or recorded.

Military and aviation

Operational turbines in a wind farm can adversely affectradar through causing ‘false’ reflections, loss of signalsfrom targets behind a turbine and intermittent returns. Due to the numbers and locations of proposed wind farmsites in The Wash region, the Ministry of Defence iscarrying out a study in order that a collective mitigationstrategy can be developed. There are no other impacts oncivil airspace or radar.

Other human activities

There are no existing activities or infrastructure, such asoil and gas facilities, pipelines and cables or marineaggregate extraction sites in the area which wouldconflict with the proposed Sheringham Shoal wind farm.There is some risk of construction activities disturbingunexploded ordnance on the seabed, including mines,bombs and anti-aircraft munitions. Surveys will beundertaken prior to construction and clearance carriedout if necessary. Overall, the impacts resulting fromother human activities are predicted to range from noimpact to negligible.

Socio-economics

The project has the potential to generate some positiveeconomic effects which, given the constructioninvestment and its 40 year lifetime, is considered to bea beneficial impact to the local and regional economy,including tourism. Positive effects would arise fromdirect employment and via the supply chain for thepurchase of materials, equipment and services duringconstruction, and the setting up of an operations andmaintenance base.

Assessment of the effects of the construction phase oncommercial fisheries has concluded that a minor adverseto negligible effect would be anticipated in terms ofpotential commercial loss and economic impact. Theimpact during operation has been estimated to be ofnegligible significance.

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Landside cable route and infrastructure

Geology, water resources and land quality

The immediate area of the onshore works isdevoid of geological interest features or any waterfeatures, although reed-beds and drainage ditchesare present in the wider area. Installation of theburied cable and construction of the switch roomwould not directly impact on any of these featuresdue to the distance separation and implementationof good construction practices. Furthermore,pollution prevention guidance would minimiseimpacts on the surrounding area.

As the site was used as a military barracks andanti-aircraft firing range during World War II, thereis a risk of historic contamination being present. If any contamination is identified as part of pre-construction studies, it would be dealt withaccording to standard practices in consultation with North Norfolk District Council (NNDC).

Terrestrial ecology

The predominant habitat to be disturbed duringthe construction of the onshore cable routecomprises semi-improved grassland of lowecological significance. Mitigation measures wouldbe implemented to minimise any disturbance tothis habitat which would be re-instated followingconstruction. The construction programme wouldalso include a management plan to prevent harmto any breeding birds or reptiles in the area. Therewas no evidence of other protected species onthe site, such as great crested newts, watervoles, badgers or bats.

The installation of the cable landfall across the shingle beach could potentially impact upon areasof vegetated shingle, including small patches ofthe nationally scarce yellow-horned poppy. Thisarea would be resurveyed prior to constructionand areas of the habitat translocated.

Overall, construction impacts on terrestrial ecologyare anticipated to be of short term minor adversesignificance. No impact is envisaged to ecologicalinterests during operation. In addition, no impact tothe ecological interests of any nature conservationsites is envisaged during any stage of the works.

Figure 1 - Photo representation of existing site for proposed Switch Room location at The Muckleburgh Collection, Weybourne, Norfolk.

Figure 2 - Photomontage of proposed Switch Room prior to new landscaping at The Muckleburgh Collection, Weybourne, Norfolk.

Figure 3 - Photomontage of proposed Switch Room with initial landscaping and planting of Scots/Austrian Pines at The Muckleburgh Collection, Weybourne, Norfolk.

Figure 4 - Photomontage of proposed landscaping shielding new Switch Room at The Muckleburgh Collection, Weybourne, Norfolk.

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Landscape and visual character

There are a number of landscape designations whichcover the area, such as the Norfolk Coast Area ofOutstanding National Beauty (AONB), North NorfolkHeritage Coast and Area of High Landscape Value.Onshore construction activities, involving constructionplant and human presence, would result in somelandscape and visual impact to users of the beach andNorfolk Coast path. This would be for a short duration ofapproximately four months during the winter months.

The long-term landscape and visual effects would relate tothe new switch room building only, as the remainder of theworks would be below ground. The switch room would bepartially screened by the existing coniferous plantation andthe museum. Further screening to the east and south willbe provided by extending the existing woodland. A minoradverse to negligible impact on the landscape and visualcharacter of the area would be expected.

Archaeology and cultural heritage

There are a number of predominantly post-medieval andWorld War II sites and buildings within the onshore areawhich are of archaeological and heritage interest as wellas previous finds of Roman pottery and coins. There isalso a potential for currently unidentified archaeologicalsites and finds to exist, with evidence of Iron Ageactivity and Saxon settlement in the wider area. Awatching brief will take place during the excavationworks for the onshore cable and associatedinfrastructure and, if artefacts or features are found, asuitable course of action would be agreed with theCounty Archaeologist and English Heritage.

Tourism and recreation

Tourism and recreation play an important role in theeconomy of north Norfolk, with the coastal towns andmore remote coastline being popular all year round. Thebeach, car park and Norfolk Coast Path at WeybourneHope are all well frequented. The Muckleburgh MilitaryCollection and Museum is also a popular visitorattraction during the summer months.

Some disruption to the Norfolk Coast Path and beachwould be experienced over short periods for theduration of the landfall works under the shingle beach.Signed temporary diversions of the path along arelatively small section would be put in place duringthese periods. Overall, the impacts are anticipated to betemporary and of a limited extent, and are considered tobe of minor adverse significance.

During operation, it is anticipated that the presence ofthe wind farm would not deter tourists and visitors fromthe area and some visitors may be attracted to the coastin order to view the wind farm.

Local fishing boats on Sheringham Beach

Sheringham Beach on a Summers Day

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Traffic and access

Access to the site of the onshore works would be viathe A149 and the existing Muckleburgh Collectionentrance. Disruption to the local traffic network isanticipated to be minimal since the construction isplanned outside the busy summer months. Prior toconstruction, a traffic management plan would beagreed with Norfolk County Council and appropriatetransport arrangements put in place. A short term minoradverse impact on the local road network and access is envisaged.

Once the site is operational, traffic would be restrictedto light vehicles for maintenance staff only, and noimpact on the local road network is anticipated.

Noise dust and air quality

Noise sensitive receptors in proximity to the worksinclude residential properties and users of the beach andNorfolk Coast Path. Short-term localised minor adverseimpacts are anticipated from on-site plant andequipment during the construction activities and noimpact is anticipated in respect of off-site trafficmovements. Suitable mitigation will be put in place tominimise any potential for nuisance to be caused bythese activities.

Direct emissions to air during construction occur fromvehicle exhausts and dust from excavation works andstockpiles of material. Implementation of mitigationmeasures will ensure that the impact of dust on airquality is negligible.

Overall, given the successful implementationof the stated mitigation measures ascommitted to by Scira, as well as furtherdialogue with interested parties andGovernment Regulators, it is predicted that the Sheringham Shoal wind farm project wouldnot have any long term unacceptable impacts. The project would however make a significantcontribution to the UK’s regional and nationaltargets for renewable energy.

C O N C L U S I O N

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Scira Offshore Energy Limited Hamilton House, Battery Green Road,Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR32 1DE, UK

Tel: 01502 548 264 Fax: 01502 548 119E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.scira.co.uk

Scira welcomes any questions or comments that you may have. For further information on Scira Offshore Energy Limited and theSheringham Shoal Offshore Wind Farm, please contact:

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